Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Multiple Anovas, one phone?


daveb

Recommended Posts

I'm conducting a SV class next week and plan on running at least 5 Anovas for fish, steak, veg, poached eggs, creme brulee, yada yada.  Does anyone know if I can load app 5 times, each associated with a different circulator?  Seems like I tried to control 2 at once previously but gave up when it got to hard.  Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you scrounge up phones from friends for the event? Do you have tablets, or older backup phones, that could be pressed into action?

  • Like 1

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the few times I've used Bluetooth to monitor the Anova during long multi day cooks it has cooked flawlessly and usually I was just monitoring the time frame of how many hours I had left.  I had to be home and not too far outside to keep a connection.   I sometimes felt I could do more harm than good but accidentally hitting the stop button or something.  Outside of a power interruption these devices work great.  So if anything, I just want to know that it's still running 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the bluetooth but don't see a benefit from Wi-Fi in general.  It's a solution to a problem that I don't have.

 

Temp setting with the wheel is a PIA but doable.  I seldom can get the timer setting to work manually despite reading, following and dog cussing the instructions..  For this I like the phone.  I'm going to try multiple phones but I don't see that working either.  I can use phone to set multiple timers and will probably do that.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to correct this thread. Bluetooth is not Wi-Fi.

Bluetooth is short range device to device protocol.

Wi-Fi is a wireless networking protocol. 

Which is the answer to the question. No you can't have multiple  Anovas  paired to the same phone

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, scubadoo97 said:

Understood. But the issues is the same, Bluetooth or wifi.  Can't control from one device 

I guess I wasn't clear. Bluetooth is a point-to-point solution. So you can control one one device..

If you had a WiFi solution you could easily control multiple devices.

I use the Roku WiFi interface to control several Roku on several TV's in my house.

I never liked  Bluetooth because of it short range & general unreliably.

But its cheap to do so manufactures use it as a selling point. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, scubadoo97 said:

Thanks Paul.  Didn't know wifi would give you that ability.  Good to know 

 

But it doesn't. Even the wifi version doesn't allow multiple Anovas to be controlled from the App. The only difference functionally between the wifi model and the Bluetooth-only model is that you can control the wifi model remotely (and that the heater is slightly more powerful, and therefore can heat a slightly larger volume of water).

 

Joule has both wifi and Bluetooth, but you're limited to one Joule per device for now. That's more of an issue for Joule, since there's no other way to use it except through the app. They've been "working on it" for quite some time, so it must be harder to implement than I imagine if neither ChefSteps nor Anova have figured it out yet.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

 

But it doesn't. Even the wifi version doesn't allow multiple Anovas to be controlled from the App. The only difference functionally between the wifi model and the Bluetooth-only model is that you can control the wifi model remotely (and that the heater is slightly more powerful, and therefore can heat a slightly larger volume of water).

 

Joule has both wifi and Bluetooth, but you're limited to one Joule per device for now. That's more of an issue for Joule, since there's no other way to use it except through the app. They've been "working on it" for quite some time, so it must be harder to implement than I imagine if neither ChefSteps nor Anova have figured it out yet.

Why thank you.  That was my understanding also.  

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A big part of the reason I think it should be a no brainer is my mini Bose bluetooth speaker.  I search for available devices and two show up.  I can choose either and control it or stream to it.  I can't stream to both but I can stream to either as they are recognized as separate devices.

 

If Anova could recognize multiple devices then it would be feasible to pair up with one, set control settings, then pair up with another......

 

Oh well, that's why I'm not in charge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A single wifi network and single

phone controls multiple Philips Hue light bulbs (individually different if desired) so the principle should be the same. 

 

But... even in a classroom, I still say the advantage of the Anova over the Joule is you don't HAVE TO control it wirelessly. 

 

People do classes just fine with Polyscience circulators as well. 

Just set the temp on the device. 

Edited by weedy (log)
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The class has come and gone.  I used 2 Anova V1 and 4 Anova V2 (bluetooth) units and 1 Polyscience unit.  

 

Timers on the V1 units were an easy day.  You want to set time?  Push the "Set Timer" button.  You want to set temp? Push the "Set Temperature" button.  You want to start it?  Push the "Start" button.  It's almost as if someone wanted to make it easy to use.

 

The V2 units were (are) a PIA.  I hate the effing wheel for the temp, and even having read instructions multiple times cannot get to the timer function on a repeatable basis.  Controlling via bluetooth is ok but as we know you can't control multiples.  Instead we used different timers and blue tape with start and stop times and it still became a circus.  Fortunately sous vide provides some leeway and all foods hit minimums and none were overdone.   I don't want to sound too harsh, do like and use my V2 a lot.

 

Off topic but interesting: The owner of the culinary store had just returned from the housewares show in Chicago.  Anova/Electrolux showed no interest in discussing distribution with specialty retailers instead they'll continue with Amazon, BBB, and even Wallymart.  A lot of the specialty retailers in his buying group are liking Sansaire and his store will soon carry them.  Polyscience is strongly suggesting they are close to a deal with Breville for distribution and customer support (this has been floated for a couple years but this time they mean it.....)  No word on any price reduction and the specialty retailers are realizing that the 3x price premium is not working with their customers. 

Edited by daveb (log)
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...